Capture

The ironborn attack in the night eight days after Rodrik leaves. Theon sends four ironborn to go over Winterfell's double walls with grappling hooks and swim its moat. From there they sneak up on Alebelly, whom they slay in a postern gate's turret, and they open the gate to let in the rest of the ironborn. With speed and surprise they take the remaining garrison unawares. Hayhead is also wounded. The crippled Bran Stark is able to sense intruders while in the mind of his direwolf, Summer, but Summer and Shaggydog are unable to escape the godswood. A wounded Maester Luwin tells Bran that he was able to send a raven to White Harbor, but a second raven was shot down by the ironborn.[3]

Theon does not post guards on Bran and Rickon, and the Starks and Reeds eventually disappear overnight with the aid of Osha and Hodor.[4] Osha seduces and kills the guard Drennan, while the direwolves kill Squint. Unable to find the escapees in the wolfswood, Theon has "Reek" kill two smallfolk in place of the Starks.[4] Theon announces to the world that Bran and Rickon were killed after being captured at a mill on the Acorn Water, and the flayed and tarred heads of the miller's boys are mounted on the walls of Winterfell.[6]

Theon: With thirty men, I captured Winterfell in a night. You needed a thousand and a moon's turn to take Deepwood Motte.Asha: Well, I'm no great warrior like you, brother, I saw the heads above your gates. Tell me true, which one gave you the fiercest fight, the cripple or the babe?[1]

Asha: Oh, it was cleverly done, I'll grant you. If only you'd had the good sense to raze the castle and carry the two little princelings back to Pyke as hostages, you might have won the war in a stroke.[1]